Katie Maloney is not mincing words when it comes to Scheana Shay and Tom Sandoval’s friendship.
“The thing I have understood about Scheana is that she is kind of a male sympathizer. Not kind of. She is a male sympathizer,” Katie, 37, said during the Vanderpump Rules After Show on Tuesday, March 5.
Katie used her own split from Tom Schwartz as an example, adding, “What happened when Tom and I were going through a divorce? Suddenly Tom Schwartz was one of her very good friends who really needed her support. And during this time with Ariana [Madix] and Sandoval, she just really needs that friendship with Tom Sandoval.”
Scheana, 38, and Katie have faced major ups and downs since Vanderpump Rules premiered in 2013, but put their differences aside to be there for Ariana when Sandoval had an affair with Rachel “Raquel” Leviss.
While Katie and Ariana skipped the cast trip on Tuesday’s episode of the Bravo show, Scheana was seen softening her feelings for Sandoval and texted Ariana to let her know.
“This morning has been so hard emotionally for me,” read the message from Scheana to Ariana. “We had to do this partner meditation thing and they made me pair w Sandoval and I was so uncomfortable and I just sobbed and I don’t feel OK. I just want to tell you I love you. I will always have your back. No matter what.”
Scheana elaborated where she and Sandoval stood during a phone conversation with Ariana.
“We are not what we used to be. We never will be. It was just really heavy,” she told Ariana about how she received a “genuine apology” from Sandoval during the meditation. “You know how close we were and it was just a really heavy loss for me. I have been struggling with that.”
Ariana showed support for Scheana despite not wanting to have mutual friends with Sandoval. On the aftershow, Ariana stood by her initial stance, adding, “I think I have been very understanding. I don’t know what else I need to do.”
In her own confessional, Scheana recalled not feeling heard at the time.
“Apparently they are not my audience when it comes to anything I am feeling if Tom Sandoval is involved,” she noted. “I felt like I could open up to them because we were in a good and close place. But then, that immediately made me feel stupid. I don’t think they cared because it is not about me.”
Katie, meanwhile, sided with Ariana while questioning Scheana’s motives.
“I think it is kind of ridiculous. The being conflicted over missing a person again who doesn’t exist. I understand you guys were close at a certain point but also you have been very, very close with Ariana,” she explained. “If you are having a hard time making a choice, this person made it very easy because they have been an asshole to you. You should be very happy that they made this choice very easy on you.”
She added: “This is just an observation. There’s something about male validation that she really seeks out.”
Season 11 of Vanderpump Rules airs on Bravo Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET and is available to stream on Peacock the next day.
